Are Sulphates Bad for Your Hair?

What Are Sulphates?

Simply put, sulphates help remove oil and grime from your hair and cause products to lather. They are also often found in toothpaste, body wash and bath bombs.

There are two main sulphate compounds used in shampoos: sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium laureth sulphate. The latter is milder on your hair and skin, and while any sulphate can, technically, cause irritation, sulphates are not bad for your hair in the way that many people think.

How do sulphates affect hair?

Sulphates are surfactants, which means that as you wash your hair, the oil and dirt attaches to the sulphate and can be washed away. Thanks to the lather they produce, they make washing your hair much easier than non-sulphate shampoo.

Why Use Sulphate-Free Shampoo?

So if sulphates themselves aren’t an issue, why use sulphate-free shampoo? Does it make any difference?

Yes! For some people, sulphates can cause a reaction. Sulphates are quite strong and therefore not suitable for all hair and skin types. If you find your scalp or hair is often red, dry or frizzy when you wash it, you might want to try a sulphate-free shampoo and see if that helps.

The important thing is not whether sulphates are bad for your hair, but whether your hair or skin is not suited to sulphates. It’s just the same as skincare that differs depending on whether you have dry, oily or sensitive skin.

Should I be avoiding sulphates?

There are a few factors that might indicate that using sulphate-free shampoo could benefit your hair:

• Sensitive or vulnerable skin – people who have experienced hair loss or thinning, or those with naturally sensitive skin, might find that steering away from sulphates can help with redness or irritation.
• Dyed hair – with the power of sulphates, hair colour can be stripped away more quickly. Using a sulphate-free shampoo can help your colour last longer.
• Dry or fine hair – this type of hair can be more susceptible to drying out with sulphates, as they can simply be too strong.
• Kinky or curly hair – textured hair that thrives on moisture can become frizzy, as sulphates remove the natural oils and moisture that keep curls healthy!

Wigs and Sulphate-Free Shampoo

Hair worn under a wig

Whether you wear your wig for fashion or to disguise hair loss or thinning, wearing your wig every day or very frequently means you need to take extra care of the hair underneath. Using a sulphate-free shampoo can help protect your natural hair under a wig, preventing it from becoming overly dry.

Additionally, if the hair or skin under your wig is sensitive, using a sulphate-free shampoo can help by reducing the harshness of your haircare routine.

Wig shampoo

Sulphate-free shampoos are great for human hair wigs because wigs don’t have natural oils or moisture, so sulphates can promote dryness in your wig. Many of our specialist wig shampoos don’t contain sulphates, such as the Argan Smooth shampoo and conditioner from Jon Renau. This helps the wig to stay shiny and last longer.

And that’s it – now you know how sulphates affect hair! So when it comes down to it, are sulphates bad for your hair? Not necessarily – whether you should use sulphate-free shampoo or not depends on your hair and skin types. 

For more hair and wig-care, including how to protect your hair while sleeping and how to keep your wig in tip-top condition, check out the rest of our blog.